T):?^xmxG Vicious Horses. 95 



anotlicr iimu cannot be spared to assist, one of the fore 

 legs is tied up; the knee is bent till the foot almost 

 touclies the elbow, and a broad buckling-strap is ap- 

 plied over the fore-arm and the pastern. The horse 

 then stands upon three legs, and the groom is in no 

 danger of a kick. Until the horse is accustomed to 

 stand in this way, he is apt to throw himself down ; 

 For the first two or three times, the leg should be held 

 up by a man, rather than tied with a strap. The horse 

 should stand on a thick bed of litter, so that he may 

 not be injured, should he fall. In course of time, he 

 may perhaps become quieter, and the arm-strap may 

 be thrown aside. It should not be applied always to 

 the same leg, for it produces a tendency to knuckling 

 over of the pastern, which, in a great measure, is 

 avoided by tying up each leg alternately. Even the 

 arm-strap will not prevent some horses from kicking. 

 Some can stand on two legs, and some will throw them- 

 selves doAvn. The man must just coax the horse, and 

 get over the operation with as little irritation as pos- 

 sible. Upon extraordinary occasions, the twitch may 

 be employed, but it must not be applied every day, 

 otherwise the lip upon which it is placed becomes in- 

 flamed or palsied. When restraint must be resorted 

 to, the man should be doubly active in getting through 

 his work, that the horse may not be kept for a need- 

 less length of time in pain. He may, in some cases, 

 give the horse a very complete dressing when he is 

 fatigued, and not disposed to offer much resistance. 



EXERCISE. 



Our observations on this important branch of sta- 

 ble-management must have only a slight reference to 



